Charcoal & black oils suit modernist style

What is it with the New Zealand fascination for black? We wear it for work and play, our sports teams are dressed in (and named after) the colour - and we love using it in our homes.

Creosote was the original black used to protect makeshift baches. A fungicidal wood preservative derived from coal tar, it is no longer particularly appropriate for our local market and, besides, it’s pungent and dirty to apply so pretty much disappeared after the 1940s. Still homeowners hanker after the nostalgic, iconic look of the black exterior and, even beyond the weatherboard, interiors have moved away from the white-isright philosophy that reigned for so many decades to black kitchens and bathrooms being fashionable and now commonplace.

So what are the considerations when blackening timber either to give it the bach-like brush of yesteryear or to make a striking statement in the great indoors?

These days, the focus is on “antifossiling” :using plant-based alternatives that don’t cost the Earth. In this respect, choosing oils instead of coatings to protect and beautify wood is the interior design equivalent of eating less meat or running an electric vehicle instead of a petrol one.

Plant-sourced oils contain no unpleasant chemical isocyanates, hazardous exposure to which can cause occupational asthma and irritate the eyes, nose, throat and skin.

Oil is like a moisturiser for the wood helping to maintain its integrity. It doesn’t coat the timber but works from the inside out, penetrating the wood to nourish and protect it and enhancing its natural good looks.

Increasingly, architects, interior designers and builders are exploring the flexibility of darkcoloured wood oils inside and out. When it comes to cedar-clad homes, charcoal and black oils bring a modernist look to the design while the product has several applications on interior surfaces too.

Bill Carrig, founder of Design Denmark and long-time distributor of a water-borne oil made in Denmark, says any product designed initially to coat timber floors is bound to be tough enough to protect horizontal surfaces such as joinery and cabinetry. “For a couple of years now, we’ve seen a rise in popularity of our WOCA Diamond Oil Active in Black. It’s used on all sorts of timbers from oak to ply because it allows the beauty of the grain to show throw. Most recently it has been applied to Strandboard surfaces – either with or without a pre-treatment – and the result is so textural, you can still see the flecks of woodchip, but really smart looking.”

While WOCA interior oil is approved by the German Biological Building Association and is a combination of sunflower, rapeseed and some linseed, WOCA exterior oil contains an exterior ingredient – H2O. “Because the exterior oil is water borne, it makes it easy to apply. Once applied, the water evaporates leaving the oil and pigment to protect the weatherboards or other form of timber cladding,” says Bill.

Builder Brendon Murphy of CTL Construction affirms that homeowners continue to favour black for its aesthetic which suits the modernist style. But they tend to worry that the look will fade out. “Black certainly attracts the heat,” he says. “But oils provide natural UV protection.” Contrary to popular belief, not all black surfaces are heat absorbent. The best way to test it is to sample it on the side of the house; some brands are hotter than others. High-quality oils can also last up to five years before reapplication is required.

For his part, Brendon prefers working with natural oils because of the usability factor. On a recent project, a home designed by Dorrington Atcheson Architects in Grey Lynn, both the weatherboard cladding and the interior kitchen cabinetry was black. “Be aware that some oils take as long as three months to dry before you can put a second coat on. It means you might have higher labour charges and extra scaffolding costs if the oil is on the exterior,” he says.

When Ally Shrimpton, a design consultant at Kitchen Vision, was asked for her ideas for a kitchen in a Grey Lynn villa that had been gutted and updated, she opted for a look that would feel fresh but not too modern for the era of the home. At first they headed down the grey-on-grey neutral path but eventually settled on a more dramatic scheme that could be described as “a reverse coconut” where almost-black cabinetry contrasts with a crispwhite benchtop. Cupboard doors and the island upstand are in crown-cut American white oak with a pre-stain and then a coat of WOCA Diamond Oil Active in ‘Carbon Black’. Not only does it make the grain sing but the oil has given a nice matte finish to the timber. Look for a one-pot oil that acts like a two-pot, dries and hardens within 24-48 hours, and is water-based so brushes and cloths cleans up easily in water.

Similarly, in a sleek, streamlined kitchen designed by Stuart Bowman of CAB workshop, cabinetry was made in American White Oak Art Planked (bandsawn) and solid oak slab and then protected by WOCA Diamond Oil Active in a Carbon Black/ Brazil Brown blend. “The natural oil lets the grain and the bandsawn texture show through,” says Stuart.

Turns out, black is both the new black and an old favourite. It’s forever in our hearts, souls – and homes.

by Claire McCall